Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex Long Term Review
I'd say my Torrid is pretty much worn out and is now for a casual use/beater jacket. This is when I like to review things. I don't like to rush these things lol.
Someone asked to see a picture of me wearing the jacket for sizing reference. Bear with me. I just woke up! Yes I wore my Apex to bed lol. I'm wearing nothing underneath it. I woke up this morning at 5'8", 155.4lbs, and wear a size 32x30 Prana Zion Pant. I'm a scorpio.
Specifications:
Early 2018 Torrid Apex Hooded - Mens
20d Steel Outer
10d Charcoal Inner
Size Medium
9.92oz at the time of this review – digital kitchen scale
I’ve pretty much paired this jacket with the following insulation/layering system for backpacking purposes:
Clothes:
LW Merino Sun Hoody/Midweight Merino (Colder Temps)
100W EMS Fleece Pullover - Nothing Fancy
Montbell Tachyon Anorak Wind ShirtEE Torrid Apex Hooded
JacketFrogg Toggs UL Rain Jacket, LHG Silnylon Jacket, Arc'teryx Hard Shell
Quilts:
Zpacks Zippered 10*Katabatic Palisade 30*
Pads:
Neoair Xlite/Xtherm/Nemo Switchback/GG Nightlite
Why I bought it:
I needed an ultralight puffy for an AT thru hike. I had a pro deal for an Arc'teryx LEAF Atom at the time, but it was heavier (unnecessary features on the tactical model) and even with the pro deal it was only a $20 difference. I wanted to try out a synthetic puffy and see how well it performed on the humid east coast. The Torrid was just released, and I probably have one of the first production runs. I custom ordered it from EE and had it in like 2 weeks. I have no idea if they changed/updated anything on the jacket since.
Use:
I have used this jacket exclusively for over two years now. Used and abused on the AT and going on three New England winters. I took it on a 2000 mile thru hike, multiple backpacking 50+ mile trips throughout the White Mountains in 4 season conditions, as well as dozens of day hikes, overnighters, and climbing trips. Mostly wet and cold Northeast Conditions. I’ve worn this jacket from below 0*F to cool summer nights. It’s been through torrential downpours and Nor'easter blizzards.
Aside from backpacking and hiking, I’ve worn in skiing, fishing, kayaking, snowshoeing, ice climbing, running, cycling, and it’s been in a few snowball fights.
I have practically lived in it for over two years now and have slept in it probably over 150 times. Here in New England, sweatshirts are a 365-day staple year-round, and this has been my one and only sweatshirt. I’ve slept in it while backpacking, couch surfing, and van dwelling. I’ve climbed 6000-foot peaks in the middle of January with it and then wore it while drinking milk stouts at the local pub.
My family has gotten worried because it is literally the only thing I’ve worn for over two years now lol. As a matter of fact, I’m typing this while wearing my Torrid with nothing under it. For years now I’ve practically worn this jacket all day every day in the fall, winter, and spring in NH. During the summer, it’s my main insulation piece in my pack. Even during the summer, nights can get sweatshirt weather here in the Whites, and I was wearing this jacket a bunch.
I use to work/play on a gun range and played soldier of fortune in it many a times. Running and gunning outside in sub-freezing temps while leaning up against barricades and dropping prone on gravel to setup a precision shot. I’ve slung an AR-15 around my shoulder while wearing it and wiped the blood off my brow with the sleeve when I scoped myself while shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor.
I’ve worn it while working on my vehicle, riding a motorcycle, and even playing a cold weather pickup game of HORSE.
I’ve backpacked with this jacket when temps got down into the teens a handful of times. I’ve worn it in the pouring rain. I’ve worn it by itself while doing laundry in town. I’ve let a few other people try it out on a trip. I let my old pup sleep wrapped up in a bunch of times. I’ve walked out into the rain on purpose to see what happens. I’ve put it too close to heat to see if it would melt. I’ve even tied it around my waist like an old white guy from the 70’s. I haven’t babied it since the day I got it.
I may have left something out.
Price:
For $170, I can't complain or get excited about the price. There are budget jackets that cost $40 and then there's Apex jackets costing upwards of $300.
Comparing this jacket to other synthetic offerings, it's pretty much a fair market value. Furthermore, there aren't too many options for an ultralight apex jacket on the market. Nunatak makes high end apex jackets with full customization and options, for a much greater price. As for other Apex options, not many cottage vendors dabble with clothes and I’m unaware of other Apex offerings.
At the time of this review, I'm unaware of any cottage shops (even Nunatak, the price difference is huge) making a piece that directly competes with the Torrid Apex using apex insulation. Nunatak, Rab, and Arc'teryx make pieces with Apex but the price/weight/insulation amount is too varying to directly compare the two. Demand does naturally bring a price point. I personally feel like I got my money's worth and it's one of those pieces I forgot how much it cost when I relied on it so frequently. A solid gear purchase is one that satisfies your needs and performs within its service life. The jacket is also made in the USA, a driving factor for some consumers.
I don’t think it’s overpriced or a steal. I think it’s worth the money if you get your use out of it. Cost is somewhat subjective. I really only spend money on my outdoor hobbies. So good gear is an investment to me. I own DCF shelters, a few packs, carbon fiber tent stakes. I usually have premium gear and am able to afford it. I’ve wasted money on other ultralight backpacking garbage. My EE Torrid Apex is one piece of gear I can actually say I have gotten my money’s worth out of. Can’t say the same about a lot of other very expensive items I’ve bought over the years.
The funny thing is. The more I hike, the more I like cheaper gear for some reason. I love an underdog piece of gear. I don’t care about status, name brands, or being a billboard for a particular company. If it works, I like it. For $170... you could do worse.
Warmth - Consistent All Over:
It's heavyweight fleece warm, warmer than what a Melanaza would be but lacks breathability. I would compare this jacket's warmth to the plethora of premium ultralight down jackets out there. A few examples I can compare and contrast on is a Montbell Ex Light Anorak (original model) and Montbell Superior Down Jacket. In my experience, the superior down parka is a tad warmer than my ex light anorak. For me it's a warmer piece. Probably the way it fits me or the baffle design. The Torrid falls right in the middle of the two. None of these jackets are by any means WARM. I have an Arcteryx thorium that is warmer. I also have a cheap 12oz ll bean primaloft jacket that is warmer.
To me the 2oz Apex is probably most similar to a down jacket with 2.0-2.5oz of high fill power down. However, down jackets have different insulation problems, like baffle design and seam construction.
The Apex is consistently warm all over, a continuous filament insulation lacks baffles, seams, and insulation shifting is not a concern. Most people find a Melly too warm to hike in. But the breathability of fleece is excellent and reduces this overall warmth to manageable levels. This jacket traps moistures, quickly becoming swampy and sticky. Whether it be sweat or condensation from cold climates, moisture has nowhere to go.
One of the biggest things to consider is people run at different temperatures. Some hikers run hot and find something like a Ex Light or even a 100w Fleece is plenty sufficient for "their own" 3 season conditions. Other's run a bit colder and require more insulation. When stopped, people who run cold will probably find they need another layer or more insulation and would benefit from a jacket with greater insulation. Some throw on a shell and are content. It’s really hard to quantify the “warmth” of a jacket. One’s layering system and how it’s implemented has a large effect on quantifying warmth. Oh yeah... there’s that metabolism thing too.
I can say that a 100w fleece is not as warm. And an Arc'teryx cerium is warmer. But we all knew that didn’t we. It’s only 2oz Apex. Take that with a grain of salt. Keep in mind. Most ultralight Apex summer quilts are made with 2.0-2.5oz Apex and are recommended down to 50 degrees. A jacket is going to trap heat efficiently. However, assuming that the jacket can be warm down to freezing is kind of silly when a brand new 2.5 Apex quilt has a rating of 50 degrees. Even with a baselayer, lw fleece pullover, and a Torrid, most are going to be looking to get into their bags if being static at those temps. I'd be wearing gloves and hat as well. This is completely disregarding the loss of thermal insualtion from moisture or wear and tear as well. This is brand new.
At 32F most thru hikers are wearing sleeping baselayers, a puffy, a hat, in a 20 quilt on an xlite and eating in bed to warm their insulation up. Noones walking around in an ultralight puffy claiming to be warm. The hardcore ultralighter is the exception.
The warmth has expectedly deteriorated over its life span. Without trying to explain my deductive reasoning with how I came to this number, I would say the jacket runs 10* colder than when new. The insulation has flattened out. Wearing it, sleeping in it, and stuffing it into backpack has compressed the filament permanently. Laundering does not substantially restore any loft. With being laundered three times. Down jackets have a longer service life. Typically washing a down jacket properly restores loft over and over again. I’ve seen ten-year-old down jackets fluff back up to like new every time they are laundered. I spoke with EE, and they confirmed that my jacket was worn out and the insulation is not what it used to be.
I have noticed the difference in the overall consistent warmth of the Apex vs a baffled down jacket. There are no cold spots. Pretty sweet.
It’s Not Warm Enough for ME or my style of Thru Hiking:
The thing is, I tend to play in colder temps than others. I also tend to use my puffy much more as a stop piece than an active piece. I would probably be happier with a 3.6oz Apex variant from Nunatak. It would serve my layering system, metabolism, and needs better. I think a majority of thru hikers, especially women, would be better served with a 3.6oz Apex jacket. The 2oz Torrid Apex will be sufficient for an AT thru, or someone completely dialed in for a warmer PCT hike. But if you run cold, or want some more versatility, or just prefer a toasty jacket, then the Torrid Apex is probably not for you. This is similar with down jackets too. Most thru hikers admit that their common ultralight down hoody is “just enough”. I prefer a down jacket with 4oz of down for spring, summer, fall hiking as a stop piece. I like to be toasty. You need to take into consideration your style of hiking. For those that are in the bag within 15 minutes of getting into camp, the torrid could very well be enough. Realistically, this is not the majority of hikers out there. If you hang around camp, want to go sit on a ledge and eat your noodles, then the torrid might be a little light at certain times. If you are the type that loves to hang out, I would think more about a designated stop piece. And a warm down hoody is great for that.
You can always throw on a rain shell as well. I personally despise sleeping in a rain jacket though. So I prefer a warmer puffy or a wind shirt. You sleeping bag rating and shelter selection may influence your decisions as well. So many variables.
Stop Piece vs Go Piece:
I prefer to use a fleece as a go piece and a puffy as a stop piece. This makes me lean towards a down jacket for greater warmth to weigh ratio. Furthermore, because I typically use a puffy as stop piece, the benefits of a synthetic jacket (which are somewhat overstated) are not needed. Down still performs very well in humid, wet, and cold conditions. I don’t ever get my stop piece wet. So the benefits of a synthetic material jacket really just aren’t there. I do like the continuous filament, but it’s not a deal breaker.
I’m not a Vegan:
I respect animals very much so though. If you’re a vegan, then your options for ultralight gear become very slim. And something like a Torrid Apex may very well be suitable for you. Maybe splurge on a Nunatak if you want a warmer Apex Jacket.
Loft:
When new I was quite surprised with how lofty the Apex was. The was short lived and about halfway thru the AT the jacket flattened out substantially. It seems to have a reached an end stage of compression as the loft has been pretty static for quite some time. Laundering brings back a hint of loft, but that quickly deteriorates in just a few uses.
Laundering:
I've "laundered" this jacket three times. I deep cleaned all my kit after an AT thru and the Torrid in a hot, tekwash, five-gallon bucket job. Wrung out and hung dry. The second was a delicate cycle and then put in the drier with low heat. The third I wore in the shower and used no soap, just hot water to saturate the jacket the hung dry.
If anyone is wondering. Wearing this jacket whilst soaking wet. Imagine submerging under water while wearing it. Submerged with enough time to completely wet it out. The insulation soaks up water, flattens out, becomes ten times heavier, requires wringing it out, feels like you're wrapped in a soaking wet garage bag, and takes forever to dry. It hangs off your body and feels like a ton of bricks. Like anyone was expecting a miracle? This is beyond reasonable "warm when wet" expectations. Both down and apex are cold when wet. Soaking wet.
When soaked thru. The jackets were wrung out. The jacket line dried took about 8 hours in the sun with a breeze. The machine dried jacket took a few ultra-low heat cycles to get it completely dry.
I might have got a little overzealous and put it no low heat to speed up the process. The jacket handled the low heat just fine.
Comfort:
Very nice against the skin. No seams or baffles to irritate you. Very comfortable. I sleep in it without a base layer all the time. The 10d is very plush. Can’t comment on 7d. Same fabric you’d find on quality quilts.
Style:
Not a Pattagucci, but looks right at home on the mountain. Multitudes of color combinations to flavor things up. I'd say down jackets with aesthetic baffle designs look better in town. The Torrid has a more serious, technical tone. It has received one or two compliments* (by hikers), and no one has ever said anything negative about its appearance. I've worn this jacket out to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A date has never abandoned me... yet. It's a conservatively cut technical jacket, that doesn't make you look like a complete ninja. It is kind of boxy in the torso and being a slimmer guy, I wouldn’t mind a little more tapering throughout the body. My dull earth toned jacket has no pop to it. It blends right into nature. I'm sure brighter colors completely change the aesthetic of the jacket. No big labels, logos, or symbols to be found anywhere on the jacket. Alot of people appreciate not looking like a walking billboard advertising a specific brand with an overwhelming logo plastered on any product. Just a small, inconspicuous tag with the EE logo is sewn to the hood. Real recognizes real, and one night at a bar the bartender came up to me and asked me what trails I’ve hiked. I said how did you know...the EE Torrid Apex is niche hiker trash item.
Sheen:
The 20d is a matte color and the 10d has some sheen to it. It was the number one reason I went with 20d in the steel color. I couldn’t be wearing a bright shiny red trash bag puffy to work.
Smell:
Honestly, I can't smell any hiker funk on it. Is that because me and my gear have an acquired permanent funk? I also haven't worn deodorant in four years. No one has ever called me out for this jacket smelling, but maybe they were trying to not offend me. My midlayer fleece consistently and noticeably smells much riper than the Torrid after a few days of backpacking. None of my puffy jackets seem to acquire a real bad funk compared to other layers in in my clothing system. Never had an insulating jacket acquire a funk, and this one hasn’t either. I’ve also sweated directly onto the jacket plenty of times. In NH, I’ve worn it with nothing under it on runs during the winter.
Durability:
One ember burn mark. Nothing else. No rips. No snags. Nothing. The 20D is bomber. The stitching is still 100%. I’ve rolled around on gravel with an AR and duty belt while wearing this jacket and nothing happened. I’ve worn backpacks, rifle slings, pistol belts, and harnesses over the jacket. No damage. Even the tiny little zippers still operate smooth. The zippers have never separated. Idk, this jacket has been bomber. I’ve been up against wood, rocks, granite, boulders, dirt, trees, brick, etcetera. No damage. The 20D is overkill for backpacking in my experience and if I were to order a new one, I would get a 10d outer fabric and a 7d inner to save weight.
Something did Break:
My cinch cord for my hood snapped one day. I have no idea why. I was tightening my hood and pop. I emailed EE and they gave me the go ahead to just snake a piece of cord through the hood to replace it. They said no one has ever done that and I was the first and only that it happened to. I would not worry about it.
Chroma Zipper Pulls:
The fine folks at Litesmith gave me some of these with an order. I put them on the Apex before the AT and have enjoyed the extra real estate when using the tiny zippers. They are small, durable, and come in multitudes of colors to add some flavor to the Torrid. The little zipper pulls can be hard to find use with gloves on. The Chroma Zipper Pulls eliminated this issue. I recommend adding something like this to the jacket.
Ember Resistance:
Non-Existent. It doesn't smell as pungent as burnt down though. It took two years to burn a hole in it. I was at a wedding and a massive bonfire finally left its mark. A dime sized burn in the right shoulder. I’ve never taped it. No insulation leaks and the hole hasn’t gotten any bigger or anything. I should probably tape over it. Months later... hasn’t gotten any worse.
Wrist Cuffs:
They are tight without a lot of stretch to keep drafts out. However, I wish they had more stretch around the cuff. It is really annoying to get the cuff over a watch. Any watch. I pretty much have to pull the cuffs over my hands every time I want to remove the jacket. I have skinny wrists. This is the first and only jacket where I found cuffs annoying. The sleeves are pretty tapered. I imagine if you are a muscular individual, you’ll find the sleeves too tight.
Breathability:
Non existent. This thing blocks wind and doesn’t let anything out. It’ll get swampy real fast in strenuous conditions. Mechanical ventilation doesn’t really help. Wearing this jacket with a pack means a swampy back really fast unless it is FREEZING out and you're not sweating. I prefer a fleece for an active layer. I really don’t see any benefit as an active layer. The only time I can ever wear a jacket like this while being active is during alpine climbs when it's cold and your moving slow. Hiking... not a chance. I’d rather throw on a shell and mechanically vent if necessary.
As an active layer, I think it's one of the lightest options for a technical, synthetic insulating jacket. However, the lack of breathability or mechanical ventilation really makes the jacket less than ideal for high output activities. In cold weather high exertion activities, in a situation where one would need the warmth of a piece like this to hike in. You will sweat. And this jacket won't breathe. A real disadvantage when hiking in colder temperatures. Moisture management is a huge proponent of staying warm and dry in cold and wet climates. A midlayer with poor breathability doesn't perform well in this regard. With that said, the jacket does shed wind very effectively, trapping heat. This is advantageous when stopped and creates a warmer piece. I think this jacket would benefit from breathable fabric under the armpits.
Bottom Hem:
No adjustment. Not too tight or too loose for me. I do wish it had an adjustable hem around the waist though. I like that on my jackets. You can play with the fit that way and makes it more versatile.
Zippers:
Never failed or snagged. But I really dislike the tiny zippers and wish EE would go up one size despite the weight increase. I think they look at little goofy too. At least the main zipper. Pockets are fine. But the tiny little zipper looks out of place.
Hood:
Great fit, comfy, good range of motion. 10/10. Zips up to my lips. Adjustable. Snug fitting if you want. Traps heat. Great design. Can layer a beanie underneath with ease. The adjustment is easy to use using the mini cord locks. Kind pf folds in on itself when not up and can look goofy. My friend was always fixing my hood when we went out together.
Stains:
The 20d fabric stains but washes clean. Water will leave water spots when they dry but then go away once it’s washed. I’ve had food spill on it. Coffee, wine, milk, juice, everything. It washes clean. There are actually no permanent stains on the jacket.
Noise:
Not silent but not crinkly. 100% acceptable for an ultralight nylon shell fabric. About as quite as nylon is going to be. Same fabric you’d find on quilts. Some super crinkly jackets sound like a bag of potato chips. This is not one of those. It's plush.
Range of Motion:
Even though this jacket has zero stretch, the mobility and range of motion is great for me. The raglan sleeves help. For me, it is not tight anywhere. I have full range of motion of my arms and it doesn’t get tight across the back when hunched over. I’ve climbed, crawled, jumped, leaped, hopped, cartwheeled, rolled, and done other kick ass moves and never felt restricted. Adding a pack over it cuts down on mobility, but that happens with every jacket.
Fit (Layering Wise):
It layers very nicely. EE is pretty much spot on how they describe it. I’m typically a medium or large, usually leaning on the medium size. They say it’s in between a medium/large. Perfect for me. I can layer a base layer, fleece, and wind shirt under it very comfortably and it never feels tight. I wouldn’t want to put anything else under it. The nylon slides nicely and aids in the layering system. My size frogg toggs then fits nicely over it.
Fit (my body wise):
I’m 5’8” 155lbs. Athletic, little muscular. I usually wear a medium. Sometimes brands get me into a large. I wear a size small frogg toggs. Typically, my t-shirts are medium. Ran jackets tend to be medium. I don’t like ninja stuff so typically technical clothing I go up to a large for a more relaxed fit. This jacket fits me well. It is a touch long on the torso but not enough to bother me. I have a shorter 18” torso though. This does create a more than necessary boxy torso for me. Anyone with a beer belly will appreciate this. I have mediocre 6 pack abs. The sleeves fit well. They are tapered and I wouldn’t mind the forearm section to be not as tapered. The hood fits my big noggin great. The chest is fine and I have broad shoulders. The back isn’t tight. I’d say go with your regular size and trust the EE recommendation. They sized them half a size up and I think it works out well.
Drying Time/DWR/Warm When Wet:
I remember the day I got the jacket I got some water on it. It did not bead off like a quality DWR finish does. It looked like the nylon just soaked it right up. With that said, this jacket dries from a sprinkling very quickly. I’ve stepped out to take a leak in mild rain (not enough to warrant the rain jacket) and within 10 minutes of being back in the tent, the jacket was dry. I don’t purposely get this jacket wet while backpacking (that’s not all that smart). When I’ve completely saturated the jacket with water (washed it and rung it out) it took all day in the sun for the jacket to completely dry. It dries completely when saturated on a few ultra-low heat cycles in the drier. The hot sun or some wind will take care of any residual perspiration unless the temps and humidity dictate otherwise. A soaking wet synthetic jacket is just as bad as soaked thru down jacket in a real-world situation. I tend to fall in the camp of why is your puffy getting that wet anyways? There are typically better options for a more breathable active layer and no one realistically walks out into the rain wearing their puffy. If it’s warm enough to be raining, then the conditions probably dictate you don’t need to be wearing this while hiking. A fleece handles that much better.
Letting it Bake in the Sun:
Sometimes on backpacking trips, I tend to hang my quilt out on a line or on a rock when at a hostel or something just just let the sun bake the crap out of it. Makes my quilts bust at the seams with loft! The sun doesn't have any noticeable effect on the loft my Apex if I let it sun bathe.
When Your Skin is Wet:
When your forearms and hands are pruned up and saturated with moisture they will stick to the inner fabric of the sleeves and make it annoying to put on. The inner sleeve will push out of the cuff and you will have to manipulate it all back in with your opposite hand. This doesn’t happen with baffled jackets because the sewing keeps the fabric in place. When this happens the fit of the jacket can get a little wonky and tight in areas.
Packability:
Obviously not as compressible as a comparable down jacket, but does it matter in use for backpacking? It packs down super small and if I want to, I can squeeze it down to the size of a softball. I pack it loosely in my backpack. The volume is still very little. It shouldn’t make a difference. It may even pack smaller than some similar down jackets due to the small zippers and tapered sleeves. You probably shouldn’t compress the hell out of Apex insulation anyways.
Stow Pocket:
There isn’t one and I think every jacket should have this with a carabiner loop to hang from a harness. My personal preference. But that goes back to should one really be compressing Apex that much?
Hand Pockets:
Great size and the fact that they zip shut it great. I am known to keep some glove liners and a beanie in these pockets. Zippers are secure.
Branding:
You aren’t a walking billboard. There is only one small Enlightened Equipment tag on the back of the hood. The jacket is very plain. Usually jackets have a logo or something on the chest. Nothing here. You can’t tell if this is a $170 jacket or a $5 China special by any branding. The only people who will know are gear nerds.
Tags:
I don’t remember, I cut those off the day I got it. Shave the grams. I’m sure they had said handmade in Minnesota though.
Stitching:
Typical EE quality. Everything is straight and well stitched. Quality. I have never had a loose thread or anything.
Warranty/Customer Service:
Every time I ask EE something, they are 100% more than willing to have a full-blown in-depth conversation until I’m satisfied. I once needed an EE quilt repaired and they were great to work with. I asked about the Visp Rain Jacket and Wind Pants and got an overwhelmingly awesome detailed response. In other words, don’t be afraid to send an email.
Lead Times:
People who complain about lead times don’t deserve our beloved cottage gear.
Would I buy another?
No. But I would use another one on a thru hike if someone gave me a free one. Mine doesn’t have enough life in it for another thru. For my personal needs and future trips, I’m probably going back to down. Something warmer as well. This has to do with my own personal layering system, needs, conditions and climates I plan on going to and a bunch of other reasons. My next puffy is going to be a stop piece, and then I lean towards an ultralight down jacket. I’m looking at you Goosefeet Gear. The Torrid served me well. But I think there are more suitable options out there for my next jacket. If I was planning on another AT thru hike and wanted another synthetic puffy, I’d probably try a Montbell Thermawrap because I like to try new things and Montbell is one of my favorite brands. I doubt the performance differences between a Thermawrap and a Torrid are meaningful.
What’s the future of my Torrid Apex Jacket?
It will probably continue to ride in my day pack for peak bagging trips and I don’t see why I wouldn’t take it on overnighters and such. It doesn’t have enough warmth for me during the fringe seasons anymore so I need a warmer jacket for spring and fall. I mean hell, I’m still wearing it every day!
Thanks for sticking it out with my rambles! I'll gladly respond to any questions about my experiences with the Torrid Apex.
In Conclusion:
I think the Torrid is a great jacket, but it is not perfect by any means. It also is simply not that warm. This is a common theme I find with lacking ultralight jacket reviews. When someone tells me their ghost whisperer is toasty down to freezing I kinda just turn my head in curiosity. These jackets take the edge off in my experience, but they aren't inherently warm and toasty in all "3 season" conditions. This is how I feel when I read people saying their Torrid is toasty down to 30*F. It raises an eyebrow for me, because when I'm on trail if it's 30* everyone is wearing all their clothes and huddled into their sleeping bags as soon as possible. Not walking around camp toasty in an ultralight "sweatshirt" weight puffy. I've always confirmed this by taking a walk my local mountain town in the WMNF, In the winter, 30*F is pretty average. Noone is wearing ghost wisperers, ul thermawraps, or ultralight puffies. You see Alpine Parkas and R1 Fleeces. We aren't wimps, we live in it lol.
I don't agree advertising something as the PERFECT 3 season mid layer. Maine 3 season is much different than Florida 3 Season. My take on it is, disregarding cost, I could order a down jacket with 4-5 ounces of fill for the same weight as a Torrid Apex if I wanted a warm ultralight midlayer. Even though this down jacket would cost twice as much, it would also last a decade or two.
I think the Torrid is lacking as an active layer due to its poor breathability. I think this sub tends to agree we love our fleece and even our wind shirts for our active needs. Do the properties of a synthetic jacket really shine and is there a large advantage over down? Or is the synthetic jacket kind of a hype? I personally didn't find any massive advantages of using synthetic over down.
I can understand someones will to use synthetic over down for vegan reasons but at the same time, me getting 10 - 15 years out of a down jacket is imo more ethical, responsible, and overall more environmentally friendly than getting two years out of an Apex jacket. I'll not get too in deep on that one though.
I like the Torrid. I would use another one on a hike. It works best as part of a dialed in system. It's not that great of a stop or go piece. It's affordable, ultralight, and warm enough to get you thru most popular trails during a normal season hike. If you want something truly warm as a stop piece, I would look into a down jacket with 4+ oz of fill or a 3.6oz Apex jacket.
Directly from Enlightened Equipment:
"You're very welcome! I figured you had washed the Torrid as well, but just wanted to make sure. Your experience is pretty consistent with what we have seen as well. When it starts to flatten out a good wash will help. Eventually it's loft will diminish over time and use/abuse. It sounds like you got a lot of good use out of yours. My daily wear Torrid (about 2 years old) is not quite as "fluffy" as a new one, but it's still pretty effective"
https://enlightenedequipment.com/
Alternatives to the EE Torrid Apex
Posted Jan 27, 2020, 8:05 AM UTC · edited